BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Ohio State managed to keep Indiana away from its lead for the entirety of the first half, but never managed to extend it to double digits.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO STATE (16-7) | 23 | 32 | 55 |
| INDIANA (13-11) | 21 | 31 | 52 |
With 6:57 remaining, the Buckeyes pulled out to a nine-point lead, but Indiana – despite opening the game 2-of-14 from beyond the arc – proceeded to hit a 3-pointer on three straight possessions to tie the game with less than five minutes remaining. The Hoosiers rode a 14-2 run, eventually taking a three-point lead before C.J. Jackson tied it at 52 apiece with 1:11 remaining. Andre Wesson had a dunk with 20 seconds remaining to break the tie, and Luther Muhammad made a free throw on Ohio State's next possession, allowing the Buckeyes to beat the Hoosiers, 55-52, on Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall.
The Buckeyes now have a three-game winning streak for the first time since December, and have improved to .500 (6-6) in conference play. The win was an important addition to their NCAA tournament resume, for they're squarely on the bubble.
The Wesson brothers were two of Ohio State's three leading scorers. Andre Wesson had a team-high 15 points, making 7-of-11 shots, and Kaleb Wesson had 10 points and four rebounds. Jackson added 10 points.
| OHIO STATE | STAT | INDIANA |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | POINTS | 52 |
| 23-52 (44.2%) | FGM-FGA (PCT.) | 21-53 (39.6%) |
| 7-16 (43.8%) | 3PM-3PA (PCT.) | 6-20 (30.0%) |
| 2-6 (33.3%) | FTM-FTA (PCT.) | 4-7 (57.1%) |
| 15 | TURNOVERS | 10 |
| 35 | TOTAL REBOUNDS | 29 |
| 10 | OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 8 |
| 25 | DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | 21 |
| 11 | BENCH POINTS | 19 |
| 4 | BLOCKS | 1 |
| 5 | STEALS | 8 |
| 13 | ASSISTS | 11 |
Romeo Langford, Indiana's stud freshman guard who is expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, led the Hoosiers with 15 points despite scoring just five points in the first half.
Much of Sunday's game was an ugly affair between a pair of NCAA tournament bubble teams that both didn't look like they belonged in the tournament. Neither team shot particularly well, especially in the first half, with both teams shooting worse than 39 percent.
Ohio State jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the first five minutes behind five points from Luther Muhammad and four points from Andre Wesson. But Indiana proceeded to go on a 7-0 run with Ohio State turning it over on three straight possessions, a microcosm of a problem that has both bothered the team the entire season and was an issue against the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers never allowed Ohio State to lead by more than nine points.
Indiana took a 52-49 lead with only 1:46 left to play on a 3-pointer by Devonte Green, but that would be the Hoosiers' only lead of the game.
Ohio State will look to win its fourth straight game on Thursday at 7 p.m., when it hosts Illinois at the Schottenstein Center.
